Aunt Esther

Aunt Esther/“Sanford & Son”
(LaWanda Page)

Oh, how I relished every second Aunt Esther was on the TV screen. What a presence she had—and that attitude of hers! Who doesn’t love a hat-wearing, heavy purse-flailing, God-fearing, cantankerous old woman who can belt out the insults with the best of them? And she was definitely the perfect verbal sparring partner for Fred. I could have sat and watched them abuse each other for hours, because nothing is funnier than two elderly crabasses who equally disdain each other and try to one-up the other with put-downs.

Although she wasn’t that fortunate looking, she most certainly wasn’t worthy of the animal, King Kong and Godzilla comparisons Fred made to her. But they made me laugh, especially when she growled back at him her standard response: “Watch it, sucka.”

Aunt Esther—someone you’d want to have your back, but someone you’d never, ever want to cross.

Without a doubt, she’s my favorite fictional aunt.